Book Review: Missing Since Monday by Ann M. Martin

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Missing Since Monday by Ann M. Martin follows Maggie and her older brother when their father and stepmother leave on a long-delayed honeymoon, trusting the siblings to care for their four-year-old half sister, Courtenay. When Courtenay fails to come home from daycare one Monday afternoon, Maggie and her brother are thrust into a frightening mystery. With no adults around to help, they must piece together what happened and find a way to alert their parents before it’s too late. This standalone novel for readers ages eight to twelve was one I completely missed as a kid, but as an adult and a longtime fan of Ann M. Martin’s The Baby-Sitters Club  series, I couldn’t resist picking it up. The first chapter or two felt a bit choppy to me at first, but once the story found its footing, everything began to come together nicely . Because this is a short children’s book, the characters aren’t deeply developed, which is to be expected. That said, Martin does an excellent job conveying Maggie’...
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Book Review: The Prisoner by B.A. Paris

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Book Review The Prisoner by B.A. Paris ba paris
The Prisoner by B.A. Paris opens with Amelie losing her father to cancer and striking out to make it on her own as she doesn't want to be a ward of the state.  She eventually marries billionaire Jed Hawthorne, but one night, Amelie is awakened and finds herself and Jed being kidnapped.  Why are they being kidnapped, and who are her captors?

A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the Advanced Readers Copy of The Prisoner by B.A. Paris in exchange for my honest review.  This author is one of my favorite authors, so I was ecstatic that my request to review this book was approved.

The first thing that struck me about The Prisoner were some of the similarities between this book and The Family Game by Catherine Steadman.  Both books feature a main character that has been orphaned and a handsome, wealthy man who is isn't who you think he is.  However, that is where the semblance ends.  With that being said, there were times that I was getting the two confused since I read both books back to back.

The Prisoner was told from alternating timelines, which added mystery to the story.  This was done exceptionally well without detracting from the reading experience.  It was action packed and well written.  I found myself rushing through the book to finish because it was that engaging, and I couldn't wait to find out what would happen.  It was so captivating that I read The Prisoner in less than twenty-four hours.  I wanted Amelie to be okay and couldn't care less about what happened to her husband because he turned out to be that despicable. The only thing that I didn't particularly care for was the ending, which seemed a little abrupt to me.  I wish there had been a bit more backstory to Ned and more character development of Amelie's friends.
 
Four out of five stars is what I gave The Prisoner by B.A. Paris and can't wait to read her next novel.  I guess I'm in for a long wait.

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